Hot Apple Cider Bar

Do you want to know how to make easy hot apple cider? Every year I make a hot apple cider bar for Halloween. There are many cider recipes out there, but we love this simple hot apple cider recipe. This is the perfect custom fall drink and we love it so much that we make it all fall and winter. It is so much fun to make for a holiday party, fall celebration, thanksgiving dinner, or any small gathering during the holiday season. A mug of hot apple cider is the perfect way to warm up this time of year.

Hot Apple Cider Bar Ingredients

• An Urn or Crock-pot (you can use a pot on a stove but you’ll need to watch it close)
• Apple Juice or Apple Cider of your choice – I use natural and no sugar added. You can also use apple juice or cider from your local apple orchard.
• Cinnamon Sticks

Hot apple cider bar INSTRUCTIONS

Pour your apple juice/cider into your urn or crock pot.

My poor urn is from the 60s and has been well loved.

Add 1-2 cinnamon sticks

This one is an extra long one, I got it from Costco.

Cinnamon sticks can be expensive – but if you watch closely you can get them from Dollar Tree occasionally, and they sell them for a pretty good deal on Amazon in bulk – here

Adjust the amount of cider & cinnamon sticks to serve as many people as you like.

Let it brew for a long while!!! This is the true secret to my recipe – keep it simple and brew it long.

If you are making slow cooker apple cider let it go on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours and then switch to warm. If you use an urn, let it go until the light turns on, at a minimum. The longer you let it go the more the flavor. The cinnamon seeps in the longer it brews. You’ll notice the color of the apple juice/cider will turn darker as well.

If you are looking to “adult up” your hot cider a bit – add a little Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapps, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, or spiced rum.

I set up our hot apple cider bar every Halloween night for parents and kids walking outside trick or treating. You can use a hot beverage dispenser and even set up serving stations if you have sweet treats to go along with your warm cider. This is also a fun way to display your Halloween decor and even add a cute sign. This is always a big hit in our neighborhood. Last year one girl told me that our house was “epic” and this year we were called “legendary” because of the cider. I have kids come to the door every year saying – “yes, we’re at the cider house”.

I also set up our hot apple cider bar every holiday – so easy to keep going while the company is here so they can help themselves. I have been known to have it brewing most days during the winter as well.

You can find my pumpkin bar recipe here or my pumpkin muffin recipe here

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